Ingredients to this Red bean dessert
The Red bean dessert is a very simple recipe that you can make in a pressure cooker or using an instant pot.
Red bean – Also called adzuki bean is a popular in sweet Asian desserts. The creamy texture of this bean when cooked is what makes it popular in desserts. In traditional vellam payar sundal, red cowpeas is used. Now that is not commonly available in all places and so red bean is the next best.
Coconut jaggery – Coconut jaggery, unlike popular belief, is not made from coconut kernels. A cut made on the flowering bunch oozes a sweet sap. This is collected and evaporated using heat to prepare the sweet product. Coconut jaggery is a sweet addition and contributes significantly to the glycemic index. It is still valued for its inulin content and small amounts of minerals like iron present in it.
Grated coconut- freshly grated coconut is a common ingredient in most South Indian salads and sundals. In this recipe, it gives a soft and sweet, nutty add to it. If fresh coconut is not in your reach, use frozen grated coconut after thawing.
The details of quantities of these ingredients and other flavourants are in this recipe card along with the two methods of making it.
Vellam payar sundal
Ingredients
To pressure cook
- 1 cup adzuki bean ( Red bean, Karamani, Munpayar)
- 2.5 cups Water
For the sweet syrup
- 3/4 cup jaggery coconut jaggery, palm or cane jaggery
- 1 cup drinking water
other additions
- 1/4 tsp green cardomom powder
- 3/4 cup grated coconut or 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
- 1 tsp ghee / clarified butter ( use coconut oil for the vegan version)
Instructions
- Check the red bean for stones or sticks ( common impurities) and pick them out.
- Wash and clean the red bean.
- Add the washed red bean and the water into the pressure cooker and cook for approximately two whistles or 20 minutes.
- Once the pressure is released, open the cooker and check the bean for doneness. It will mush easily when pressed. If so it is cooked well.
- Remove excess cooking water if any and collect the beans.
For the sweet syrup
- Once the cooker is set to cook the bean, take a cup of water in a sauce pan and bring it to heat.
- Crush the coconut jaggery into bits and add to the hot water in the sauce pan
- Set on a slow simmer till the jagggery melts. stir occasionally.
- Once it is melted, remove from heat and set aside.
To make the sundal
- In a heavy wok or pan, strain the melted jaggery syrup and set to heat up again
- Add in the cooked bean to the warm jaggery syrup. slightly mash the beans as you mix them in.
- As it begins to bubble stir it well and add the coconut grated, the cardamom powder and keep mixing.
- As the mixture comes together and the water in the sweet syrup will reduce and the mixture begins to thicken. Now add the ghee (or coconut oil) and continue mixing and cooking.
- The dessert is ready. The consistency of the dessert will become a thick one like a potato mash or a scoopable halwa.
- Remove from heat and portion out to serve.
Notes
Tips to get the best payar sundal
- The bean is best cooked till soft to press, You could also soak the beans for about an hour before cooking. This cuts down cooking time.
- The jaggery syrup should be strained for impurities as the natural coconut jaggery may have impurities in them.
Here is a list of essential Navrathri prasadam sundal recipes you don’t want to miss.
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Vellam payarsundal
This looks so lovely, Seema! I love the idea of using red beans to make sundal – they’re different from rajma, right?
I also love that you have used coconut jaggery here. 🙂
thankyou, yes the red beans are so similar to the black eyed beans and are the ones on the side of the bowl in the picture. It is also called adzuki bean.
Sweet payaru is one of my favourites. Loads of roasted coconut pieces and flavourful cardamom, We make this for Dashami. Perfect sweet treat for Navratri.
Ahhh, my aunt used to add coconut pieces and my dad used to find it annoying as he feels they poke his tooth. So mom made it forever with grated coconut. But nothing beats the aroma of sweet payar.
This is a new dish for me, but it sure looks tempting. I like how South India has dishes that are traditionally made for the Navratri festival.
We make one rice-based dish, one bean based sundal and a dessert on all days bommai golu. These bean based desserts may need an upgrade to cater to the current generation. hence an upgrade to toast filled with this sweet sundal.
Loved your healthy and yummy sweet treat Seema. This post tempted me to try soon. Loved the use of coconut jaggery in it. Now I have to go to the market for coconut jaggery. Don’t know if its available or not. Let’s try. Superb share.
I have been in search of coconut jaggery from the time I made allebele for the blog post earlier. finally was so excited to see it in an Asian grocery store under Vietnamese cuisine. You can make the same recipe with normal jaggery.
This was my grandma’s favourite on all occasions! Lovely share on the theme.
Thanks Amritha. I am sure that entire generation swore by these desserts. Come to think of it it really was a healthy one.
This is a new recipe to me Seema but it sounds so delectable with the blend of jaggery and grated coconut flavors in it. Lovely festive treat apt for the theme .
Such a healthy share Seema !! Never tried my hand though yet, still tempting to try the coconut jaggery 🙂
Wonderful recipe Seema. I have only had red bean paste stuffed sweet buns.Never tried sweet sundal.
Innovative recipe and lovely share!!!
Sweet Sundal with coconut jaggery -thats interesting and must make for a lovely flavour, with the goodness of both coconut and jaggery